Category: Blended Family

Will hasn’t had a follow up with the Leukodystrophy team since October, 2017. We were scheduled to see his team and also a new doctor from metabolic medicine on February 1st, but Will developed a fever and could not be seen at CHOP unless he was fever free for 24-hours.

We have had some test results since October, but none of them have been informative. We still do not have a genetic or other reason for why Will developed this neurological condition. We are scheduled to travel to CHOP the first week of April and will keep our fingers crossed (and our hands washed) that Will is healthy and prepared for travel. While I’m beginning to lose hope for a diagnosis, we are able to reframe and adapt to our life with this special boy by taking one week at a time.

Our community is generous and caring. Without prompting, we have had the most delicious mac n’ cheese, homemade baked beans, chili, guacamole, pot pies, lasagna, salads, brownies, and cakes dropped off over the past four months. We have had family and friends pick up or take kids when we need rides for them. Most importantly, we rely on family to take the older kids when we need time to be husband and wife. We are all stronger because of this unexpected journey, and it’s because we have all the right people who surround us with love and support.
WeWill

Last night we were talking about marriage, relationships, and the challenges of raising kids in a technology-heavy time. While I could trail off and carry on about our feelings concerning children who have unfettered access to the internet and gaming world, I want to write about my favorite topic: Us!

Last night we were talking about our relationship and marriage. We discussed how Will’s special needs add an unexpected challenge for us. Without pause, I said, ‘well, we met, fell in love immediately, merged our families, and married within nine months. Not one moment of that felt like hard work.’ When we met, we knew that being together was the only way we were going to live the rest of our days. We wanted to be married. We wanted a ‘together baby.’ We promised one another that nothing would stand in our way. Well, we attained all of our goals and feel incredibly grateful to be together. We have our blended family, dogs, and our together baby. We didn’t expect the stress that comes with managing a challenging disability, but we can get through it together. Stress and fatigue can bring out the ugly bear in us. However, we have ‘Us.’ We have the union of two families and a beautiful ‘together boy’ who was meant for us.

This is Us: The Little Big Family with one important message:
We are exactly where we are meant to be. Justin and Melissa will take on every challenge that comes along. I may not be able to convince Justin to stay away from soda forever, but I know when he opens his eyes in the morning, the most important people are his family. He also wants whoopie pies, and his feet rubbed. Anyway, Happy Valentine’s Day from The Litte Big Family to yours.
WeWill